1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for accessing a wireless-local area network (W-LAN) and performing wireless internet communications in a mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the term “mobile communication terminal” refers to a device for performing voice communication by communicating with a base station linked with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through a specific wireless frequency band allocated to a communication provider. This mobile communication terminal increasingly expands the coverage thereof as a terminal capable of processing multimedia data by performing a satellite broadcast or terrestrial broadcast listening function, a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), audio layer 3 (MP3) music file reproducing function and so on in addition to its original function such as a voice communication function.
Particularly, as Internet becomes popular, research and development in mobile communication technologies for enabling the mobile communication terminal to receive Internet services are actively being pursued. These Internet services are usually provided by connecting a mobile communication terminal based on a code division multiple access (CDMA) scheme to the Internet linked with a base station. Accordingly, connection to the Internet through a base station in a CDMA scheme costs as much as voice communication.
The construction of a network through a wireless LAN (W-LAN) has been popularly used in order to support information sharing between information terminals such as personal computers (PCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), and notebook computers. Such a W-LAN, which is used in restricted space such as a department store, an office and a school, is constructed to be connected to the Internet through a router having a wire/wireless link with an access point (AP) prepared for transmitting/receiving radio data to/from the information terminal. Although this W-LAN can have access to the Internet only in such restricted spaces, the W-LAN enables economical Internet services due to allowing access to wired Internet through the router. Therefore, recently, a mobile communication terminal for receiving Internet services through a connection to such a W-LAN is being developed and implemented.
The mobile communication terminal for receiving Internet services through such a W-LAN comprises an additional W-LAN module for making communication by wirelessly connecting to the W-LAN. In other words, this mobile communication terminal comprises a CDMA system using a CDMA frequency band such as a frequency band of 800 MHz in a case of cellular CDMA, and a W-LAN system using a W-LAN frequency band, such as a frequency band of 2.4 GHz in the case of the IEEE 801.11b standard realized in one terminal. Hereinafter, the mobile communication terminal capable of receiving such a W-LAN service will be referred to as a “dual-band dual-mode (DBDM)” terminal. Currently, many communication providers are developing a CDMA service and a W-LAN service using a CDMA mobile station modem (MSM) chip in order to implement the DMDM terminal by simple modification without changing an existing design and existing parts. Herein, the W-LAN module may be mounted externally such as on the outside of the CDMA MSM chip, and a CDMA and W-LAN software is installed internally such as in the CDMA MSM chip.
However, when functions for receiving the CDMA service and the W-LAN service using such the CDMA MSM chip are implemented, CDMA voice calls/data calls and W-LAN data are not processed at the same time. In other words, the W-LAN service is not received while receiving the CDMA service, and, in reverse, the CDMA service is not received while receiving the W-LAN service.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method for accessing a wireless-local area network (W-LAN) and performing wireless internet communications in a mobile communication terminal without the inconvenience caused when the W-LAN service is not received while receiving the CDMA service.